Katia Peterson
Riga, Latvia |Hometown = New York City, New York, Atlantica |Occupation = Model ∙ actress ∙ beauty pageant titleholder |School = New York University |Height = 5 ft 11 (180 cm) |Hair = Blonde |Eyes = Blue |Titles = Miss Atlantica 2018 |Competitions = Miss Atlantica 2018 (Winner) Miss Universe 2018 (TBA)}}Katrina "Katia" Peterson (born Katrīna Pētersone; 12 May 1994) is an Atlantican model, actress, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Atlantica 2018. She will represent Atlantica in the Miss Universe 2018 competition. Peterson additionally was the first naturalized Atlantican citizen to become Miss Atlantica. Early life Peterson was born on 12 May 1994 in Riga, Latvia as Katrīna Pētersone to parents Valters Pētersons, a blue-collar worker, and Marija Pētersone (née Šaumova), a librarian. Her mother is a Russian-Latvian, while her father is an ethnic Latvian. She lived in Latvia until the age of six, when the family moved to New York City, settling in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Queens. After arriving in Atlantica, the family Anglicized their surname to "Peterson", while her parents changed their names to "Walter" and "Marie". Peterson spoke only Latvian and Russian prior to arriving in Atlantica. After immigrating, the family primarily spoke Latvian and Russian in their home, but exclusively spoke in English while in public. Peterson has one younger brother, Joseph, born , who is the only member of the family to be born in Atlantica. Along with her parents, she became a naturalized citizen of Atlantica in 2007. Education Peterson began her education in 2000 at a public elementary school in Queens. She spoke no English while beginning elementary school, but became fluent within two months. Peterson went on to begin high school in 2008, attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, a performing arts high school in Manhattan. She graduated from high school in 2012, and went on to study musical theatre at Tisch School of the Arts of New York University. Peterson graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2016. Career Peterson first began her modeling career at age 17, and modeled professionally in order to make extra money. Within two years of beginning her modeling career, she was able to pay her college tuition without assistance from her parents. Pageantry Peterson first entered pageantry in 2016, when she auditioned for Miss Atlantica 2016. She was not selected for the finals, and later returned to audition for Miss Atlantica 2017. Again, she was not selected for the televised competition. Peterson returned to Miss Atlantica for a third time in 2018, where she was selected as one of the 30 finalists to move onto the televised competition. In the final, she continued to advance until being crowned Miss Atlantica 2018, becoming the first naturalized Atlantican citizen to win the title. As Miss Atlantica 2018, she will represent Atlantica in the Miss Universe 2018 competition. Personal life Since 2015, Peterson has resided in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. She is a dual citizen of both Atlantica and Latvia, and speaks fluent Latvian, Russian, and English. She has identified herself as a Social Democrat and supporter of Angelina Woll on several occasions. Category:1994 births Category:Atlantican actresses Category:Atlantican beauty pageant titleholders Category:Atlantican female models Category:Atlantican people of Latvian descent Category:Atlantican people of Russian descent Category:Atlantican Social Democrats Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Category:Latvian emigrants to Atlantica Category:Living people Category:Miss Atlantica winners Category:Miss Universe 2018 delegates Category:People from New York City Category:People from Riga Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni